Metaphysics

Alignment in Naya Aadesh

In Naya Aadesh, it is Law vs Chaos that takes the forefront of alignment considerations. This is so much so that Good and Evil are thought of in terms of Order vs Unbound Passions. While this is less true of foreigners, when it comes to Nayans, Law and Goodness can be taken as synonymous. Those that follow Law are good by definition. The question only remains as to which laws a person must observe. In general Nayans in common observe morals and edicts which promote social harmony, and which demonstrate human kindness. For the most part Nayans must not kill, steal, betray, slander, or behave in ways that work against the common good or which cause pain. However, law runs deeper than the commons morality for Nayans, and each caste and Varna has its own moral laws which are given primacy over the common morality. This is why a Kshatriya can in good conscience fight against a rival house - even if soldiers on the other side are kinsmen. Dharma is the religious duty of each person in society in their particular role. It is perfectly fair to say that someone's goodness in Naya Aadesh is directly related to their observation of their caste's Dharma.

The Rule of Law: All Good aligned spells are considered to be also lawfully aligned as well, and vice versa. All Evil aligned spells are considered to be Chaotically aligned as well, and vice versa. Divine spells powered by the Devas cannot be evil or Chaotically aligned. Divine spells powered by Asura cannot be Good or Lawfully aligned.

Karma and Dharma

Dharma is important to Nayans for many reasons, but perhaps chief among them is it's metaphysical interaction with Karma. Karma can be understood as a kind of spiritual weight or buoyancy that attaches to the aura of a person. A deed done in accord with Dharma brings good Karma, while a deed done against one's Dharma will weigh down the soul. The universe itself responds to Karma, and while bad things can happen to good people due to the free willing of a person, the metaphysical nature of things seeks to balance things out. A person of good Karma will find that things go well for them, while a person of bad Karma will eventually find that what goes around comes around.

The Karma Rules: At any time that a player performs decisive roleplay or amazing feats that promote their Dharma, the GM may choose to reward them with a Good Karma point. Conversely if a player performs a sin against Dharma, the GM can choose to reward them with a Bad Karma point. Karma points can be spent forthe following effects:

Automatically confirm a critical hit against an appropriate foe.

Re-roll any one Save or Skill dice roll they have rolled. They may choose the better of the two results.

Avoid death. The player miraculously survives whatever would have otherwise slain them. They can choose either to heal d10 hit points and remain unconscious for a d3 days or until tended to (whichever comes first) - or - to gain temporary hit points equal to a quarter of their life and remain or become conscious. If they choose the latter, the temporary hit points last three rounds.

While a player's Good Karma is used by a player to improve their situation, the players Bad Karma is used by the GM to power the same effects in an adversary or opponent they are actively engaged with. A player can only have Good or Bad Karma points equal to their one fourth their level plus one (A level four player can have two Good and two Bad Karma points, while a level twenty can have six Good and Bad Karma points).

Death and Rebirth

Karma extends beyond a single life. Every soul is immortal and destined to be reborn an infinite number of times; this process is called Samsara, the infinite transmigration of the soul. Every being that walks, crawls, swims or flys, even the trees and the grass, has a soul. If a soul performs it's role well during life it will accumulate good Karma. If it shirks it's Dharma, or causes chaos and evil, it will accumulate bad Karma. Good Karma causes a soul to float toward a better life after death, while bad Karma leads to an inferior birth. A mass murderer may find that he is reborn as a fly or a worm, while a virtuous Untouchable may be reborn as a person of caste. Whatever the case, it must be remembered that a person in Naya Aadesh is always considered to deserve whatever misfortune besets them: everything happens for a reason.

From time to time, a player character will die. While the time frame of an adventure is unrealistic to allow them to re-roll a new character as a reincarnation of their last (the reincarnation would have to grow up!). However the fate of the departed can be determined. The dead character's Bad Karma is subtracted from their Good Karma. The total determines how many steps up or down the Heirarchy of Rebirth the soul can (if upward) or must (if downward) move. Only characters that lived as dedicated Swami, Yogi, Guru, Ghalza or other holy person can advance to Moksha.

The Heirachy of Rebirth

Moksha

Brahmin

Kshatriya

Vashya

Rajanni

Shudra

Untouchable

Foreigner

Animal

Plant

The GM should, as a matter of closure, narate the fate of the PCs soul.

There is also an optional rule to make the effect of rebirth more strongly felt:

The Samsara Rule (optional): The Samsara rule is a karmic effect that is applied to the player of the deceased (and not their in-game departed soul). The Player of the dead character can only choose their next PC to have a birth equal to or worse than the fate of their last character's soul. While clearly a plant is not playable, and an animal is not recommended, particularly vindictive GMs may make a player do a stint as an animal companion or familiar to another player or even an NPC that joins the group...